Improvement in boots and shoes



Wwf, PATENT@ JUL 18,1871

TES

HIRAM VARNEY GOULD, OF DOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

IMPROVEMENT IN BOOTS AND SHOES.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 117,168, dated July 18, 1871.

To all whom 'it may concern:

' Be it known that I, HIRAM VARNEY GoULD, of Dover, ofthe county of Stratford and State of New Hampshire, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the ilIanufacture of Boots or Shoes; and do hereby declare the same to be fully described in the following specification and represented in the accompanying drawing, of which- Figure lis a side view, and Fig. 2 a transverse sectionof a shoenpper made in accordance with my invention, the purpose of which is to prevent wear of the lining and outer covering ofthe vamp,and to render the vamp for a short distance, viz., about an inch above its junction with the sole, water-proof.

The invention is applicable to shoes or gaiterboots made with lasting or cloth uppers. It is well known that when the vamp has a simple single lining of cloth, both, besides being easily penetrable by water, are liable to be soon worn through at the edge of the insole.

In making a shoe or gaiter-boot I combine with the upper or varnpA a narrow strip, a, (generally abouttgone inch and a half in width for a womans shoe,) of cloth, which I arrange in and around the inner surface of the upper a-nd next to its lower edge, and fix such guard-strip or stay a to the upper by a thin frlin or strip of caoutchouc, b, laid between the two and fixed to both by heat and pressure. In applying such heat and pressure I use a tailors goose77 or a sad-iron, heated to a temperature sufficient to melt the eaoutchouc'without burning the cloth. In this way I iiX the outer periphery material to the lasting upper and stay-piece without the caoutchouc being forced through the upper, to the defacement or injury of its outer surface. The interlinin g c I arrange in the upper or vamp in the ordinary way, and dispose between such and the upper and the sta-y an auxiliary lining, d, of cloth, stitched at its middle to that of the main lining, and projecting in opposite directions from such middle around the vamp to or near to the heel part thereof. The auxiliary lining is to prevent the main lining from direct contact with the stay-piece and the consequent wear thereof, which will result after the main lining may have become worn through by the edge of the insole. protects the main lining from being stained or turned by the stay-piece. rlhe said stay-piece and its caoutchouc connecting-hlm not only protect the outer part of the vamp from wear by the insole, but render the shoe water-proof directly around the sides and toe of the upper, the rest ofthe upper being ventilating or free for the escape of the perspiration or moisture of the foot while the shoe may be in wear.

I make no claim to a shoe as made with a water-proof upper and sole as ordinary Indiarubber shoes are made 5 nor do I claim a shoe as made with its upper covered on its entire inner surface with a water-proof material; nor do I claim a shoe as made with a water-proof xing arranged on and around its outer surface; my invention being a particular construction of a shoe whereby it is rendered water-proof in a certain portion, and the part so water-proofed and the lining of it are protected from injuring each other and being cut or worn by the edge of the insole.

My invention differs from the mode of making a water-proof shoe asdes 'bed in the United States pateitiN'ogST ,310, da February 23, 1869, wherein the sheet of rubberI is carried between the soles and up between the upper-leather and the inter-lining, there being no auxiliary lining and stay-piece used such as are employed in carrying out my invention. Therefore,

I claim- The arrangement of the stay a and linings c d and the iilm of caoutchouc b with the vamp A, all being substantially as specified.

HIRAM VARNEY GOULD.

Vitnesses 1t. H. EDDY, J. R. Snow.

The auxiliary lining also Y 

